Twitter hero reunites loved ones for the holidays

For teens and tweens in middle school, their days can be full of confusion, frustration and struggles with low self-esteem.

A new gathering place for moms, kids and families has “hatched” in the St. Louis area, much to the delight of local parents – and particularly local moms.
 
The Nest, a self-described “stay and play creative café designed to function as a modern day community center, restaurant and membership club for women and families,” officially opened its doors in Frontenac last week. With an indoor play forest, drop-in childcare, classes for women and children and unique and healthy dining options, The Nest fills a niche that has been long overlooked in the St. Louis region.
 
According to Co-Founder Christina McHugh, the idea for The Nest was born from what she describes as “a HUGE deficit in the current market.”
 
“For me,” says McHugh, “what was lacking was a space that caters to children AND offers variety to adults. That was really missing in our area. We try to create an environment that supports families – where mom feels comfortable breastfeeding, where the kids are going to have a good time and not want to leave, where parents will always have that helping hand.”
 
“We’re the ones,” she continues, “who will hold the baby while you pay your check or put on your coat.”

Like a lot of moms, I have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season. I love baking (okay, mostly eating) gingerbread cookies. I love decking the halls with lights and garland and bright red bows.

The most important lesson I've learned this holiday season is that life is as precious as it is fragile.

A friends of mine who is due to give birth to a girl later this month recently told me she and her husband had finally agreed on a name for their precious bundle of joy. And that they had made it up.

Welcome to Mom's Happy Hour, in which we sort through the latest news about parents, parenting and pop culture so you don't have to. And then we add a little bit of snark and a whole lot of judgment.

Stockings are a death trap

With the holidays upon us, it’s time to weed out all the dangerous toys from our children’s shopping lists and replace them with cotton balls (no wait, they can swallow them!) and feather pillows (no wait – allergies!). The U.S. Public Interest Research Group has released its “Trouble in Toyland” report featuring toys equivalent to a Bag o’ Glass. A number of products like Littlest Pet Shop sets are mislabeled and can offer up choking hazards while the Captain America Soft Shield has 29 times the legal standard for lead. For a list of harmful toys, check out the full report.

Your son is by far the smelliest

In the movie Big Daddy, Adam Sandler is honored to hear his kid is the smelliest in the class. In real-life, a preschool teacher in New York is under fire for sending home a note to all of her parents